The Aviation Minister, Cecelia Dapaah has disclosed that her outfit will investigate allegations of poor services to Ghanaian passengers by British Airways when confirmed by Parliament.
The conclusions of the investigations are expected to reduce the charges on luggage and improve treatment of Ghanaian passengers at Heathrow Airport.
Though Madam Dapaah admits that the situation may be out of her immediate mandate as an aviation minister in Ghana, she will collaborate with stakeholders to find an end to the matter.
“For the passenger problems both here in Ghana and in the UK, if they have the problems here, I can assure the House that I will within one or two weeks call a meeting on it. But with it being at Heathrow, I do not know the locus I would have travelling there to deal with the issue but we would have a look at it,” she explained.
Close to four hundred passengers, majority of which were Ghanaians, last year protested against the airline over what they termed poor services.
The customers also demanded the use of terminal 5 at the Heathrow Airport for flights to Ghana instead of the current terminal 3.
The petitioners argued that the demand was as a result of the appalling and unprofessional conditions Ghanaians and passengers to Accra are forced to face at that terminal.
They contend that services that were offered at terminal five led to higher efficiency and productivity for those visiting Ghana and that must resume.
Other issues of concern are the severe delays, lack of permanent stands, bad customer service, old aircrafts and severely understaffed teams.
Meanwhile the Minister is optimistic increased competition in the aviation industry will break the monopoly enjoyed by British Airways which has led to relative high charges on some of its services.
“Because we do not have any direct flight to the UK, they have a monopoly and I therefore believe that if the competition comes in, it will drive prices down,” she asserted.
–
By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
